Monsoon power cuts spark complaints across Karnataka as outages stretch for hours

Frequent and prolonged power cuts during the monsoon have triggered a wave of complaints from residents across Karnataka, with outages stretching for hours in several localities.

In Bengaluru, the burden is being felt most acutely by those living outside apartments and gated communities. Arun Kumar, a resident of Indiranagar, said his locality experienced an evening outage lasting nearly five hours two days ago. "Such prolonged power cuts in the evening makes it difficult for everyone," he said.

Vidya, who lives in Banashankari, said cuts had become rampant in her area over the past few days. She had to approach a neighbour with a UPS backup to charge her mobile phone.

Several residents also complained that they were unable to get through to the Bescom helpline for information.

The problem is not confined to the capital. Residents in Kolar, Tumakuru, Mysuru, Belagavi, Hubballi, Dharwad, Haveri and Kalaburagi have reported similar disruptions. Sampath K., a resident of Chikkamagaluru, said an outage last week lasted more than 10 hours, adding that people in Kodagu, Hassan and Mandya had complained of comparable situations.

The complaints come after Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar recently warned that the State could face a shortage of electricity and drinking water amid worsening drought conditions.